If forging along Greenland’s eastern coast on the world’s first passenger icebreaker isn’t daring enough for you, Ponant now offers an excursion for the truly intrepid. On select itineraries, guests on Le Commandant Charcot can take a ski trek then camp overnight on the ice. On the two-day polar trek, expeditioners don Nordic skis to glide over the ice floe, pulling their own sled loaded with supplies, to delve deeper into this remote wilderness. Joined by three local guides, trekkers will learn about Inuit culture and spend the night in a two-person tent. 

With a capacity of between just 22 and 36 passengers (along with 14 to 22 crew members), True North’s two vessels ensure every guest’s voyage is unique. The multiple runabouts onboard True North and True North II mean you can head out with the crew anytime you want, whether you feel like fishing, snorkelling, diving or snapping photos. Departing from Cairns, the 13-night Great Barrier Reef Ultimate itinerary includes a number of chances to get in the water, as well as the opportunity to make a stop at John Brewer Reef and explore the Museum of Underwater Art, off Townsville.

When you think of cruising, do you imagine tiny cabins with portholes? Well, think again. These days, suites are more like New York City lofts and the two-storey Edge Villas on Celebrity Cruises’ Edge Series ships are a sleek example. The one-bedroom spaces include a terrace with a private plunge pool, two marble bathrooms and floor-to-ceiling windows. Those staying in suites also have access to The Retreat, an elevated ship-within-a-ship that features a restaurant, Luminae, where Daniel Boulud’s signature dishes are served. New enhancements were recently introduced for The Retreat guests, such as suite-to-car butler escorts for Private Journeys excursions. 

Expedition cruising is the fastest-growing sector in the global cruise industry but don’t assume it’s only for adventurous grown-ups. Hurtigruten Expeditions has a complimentary Young Explorers activity program for kids aged six to 13 on its 12-day Coastal Express voyage departing from Bergen, Norway. The range of interactive pursuits might include discovering the science behind the Northern Lights or learning how the ancient Vikings lived. Another big plus? HX makes a compelling promise: If the aurora borealis doesn’t appear, you’ll receive a credit towards another Classic Voyage booking so you can try again.

Scoring a table at a renowned European restaurant can be difficult but private dining experiences with gourmet greats are one tempting aspect of Silversea’s destination-focused S.A.L.T. (Sea and Land Taste) program. On itineraries that visit the port of Costa del Sol in Spain (such as the 11-day Lisbon to Barcelona journey on Silver Ray), guests have the opportunity to take a seat at Arte de Cozina in the village of Antequera, Málaga. Here, chef Charo Carmona, a seventh-generation resident, hosts hyper-local Andalusian meals that are made with ingredients – vegetables, olives, wheat and grapes – sourced from the fertile Antequera valley and paired with regional wines.

Getting to the essence of a destination sometimes means you have to dig in – literally. In Rovinj, Croatia, Explora Journeys offers the chance for a small group to join an Istrian family of truffle harvesters for a hunt in their own private wood, accompanied by their specially trained dogs, followed by a sampling of artisanal truffle-laced products. The excursion is exclusive to Explora and available on itineraries such as the eight-day A Journey to Homeric Odysseys and Adriatic Pearls on Explora I, which has 461 ocean-view suites, just like its sister ship, Explora II.

Faced with extraordinary wildlife and landscapes, you want to be able to absorb the sights from every angle. Enter Scenic’s two Eclipse ships, each equipped with a couple of helicopters and an electric submersible for maximum rubbernecking. Scenic’s custom-built Airbus H130 aircraft are the quietest choppers in the sky, ensuring minimal disturbance while viewing sights such as emperor penguin colonies on the 16-day Antarctica and the Weddell Sea itinerary.

It was an inspired idea for a cruise company to team up with Abercrombie & Kent (A&K), which has been crafting exhilarating, immersive journeys for more than 50 years. It means the new and improved Crystal Cruises (acquired by A&K in 2022) can create tailored shore excursions and land extensions perfectly matched with your voyage. As well as visiting 75 ports across the Americas, Europe and Africa and taking A&K tours, guests on the 123-night 2025 World Cruise aboard Crystal Serenity can extend their travels and join multi-day overland excursions ranging from discovering Machu Picchu to a four-day adventure in the Galápagos.

With 20 decks, six water slides and 40 dining and bar options to choose from – not to mention seven pools to splash in or loll by – Royal Caribbean’s 5610-guest Icon of the Seas, which launched in January, is a city and theme park in one. Each successive Royal Caribbean ship seems to raise the wow factor with thrilling rides, this time spanning surf simulators to Hide ’N’ Sea, a digital adventure game that’s set on Icon of the Seas and based on Fortnite. What’s next? In 2025, the line’s newest vessel, Star of the Seas, will boast the largest water park at sea and host daring performances beneath a waterfall at the AquaDome.

A good book and being on holiday go hand-in-hand and Cunard celebrates the pairing with the Australian Literature Festival at Sea aboard Queen Elizabeth this December. The inaugural five-night cruise features appearances by special guest authors, including Alexander McCall Smith, Fiona McIntosh and Dr Anita Heiss, who will share insights into the creative process through interactive workshops and Q&As. There’ll also be a literature-themed trivia challenge with the writers. The return voyage to Sydney will go via Hobart with bookish shore excursions planned in the Tasmanian capital.

28 Destinations That Are Even Better in the Off-season